OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 240 GB Review

Introduction:

Solid-State Drives have come a long way to get to the level of performance and reliability that we see today, both on a consumer and enterprise level. As such, OCZ has been a pioneer in the Solid-State Drive market, delivering solutions that continue to impress. Having previously looked at the RevoDrive X2 in March of this year, we saw just what the performance potential of the RevoDrive series really was. Now, the new RevoDrive 3 X2 brings much more to the table with the latest SF 22XX series NAND controllers and OCZ's new SuperScale Storage Accelerator, which uses VCA 2.0 for increased scalability. The performance metrics are incredible in their own right; maximum reads of up to 1500 MB/s, writes of 1225 MB/s, and up to 200,000 IOPs 4 KB Random Write (QD64, 4K Aligned, 8 GB LBA). If this kind of performance doesn’t catch your eye, I guess speed just does not interest you. OCZ offers the RevoDrive 3 X2 in 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB capacities, with pricing starting at $699 for the 240 GB variant. For those who worry about reliability, OCZ offers a 3 year warranty on the RevoDrive 3 X2. Advertising a MTBF of over a million hours, the drive should last much longer than the warranty term though. Specification-wise, the RevoDrive 3 X2 seems to offer an incredible level of performance. Let’s see if the best case numbers are real and if OCZ can back them up. Based on past history, the results should be interesting.

Closer Look:

The packaging for the RevoDrive 3 X2 continues in the same vein as the previous models. The front panel shows a picture of the drive alongside a few of its specifications and technologies, including OCZ's proprietary VCA (Virtualized Controller Architecture) 2.0 and the SuperScale Storage Accelerator. The first enables TRIM and SMART monitoring, while the latter enables "scalable performance". The back panel gives a brief synopsis of the target market and proprietary technologies.

Inside the outer sleeve, there is a dense cardboard box containing a foam-filled tray that holds the 240 GB RevoDrive 3 X2 safely in place during transit. The package also includes a manual and a sticker that points out an obvious fact – a fun way to show your support for OCZ.

While the front panel of the packaging shows a nice preview of the RevoDrive 3 X2, I’m looking to see what it has to offer outside the confines of the packaging. If the included decal is any indication, the phrase "My SSD is faster than your HDD" should not be an idle boast, but a bold statement that can be easily backed-up.